Method of solidifying and excavating the soil and constructing tunnels.



No; 7l3,|65. Patented" Nov. 11,4902.

0. soovsmlm METHOD OF 'SDLIDIFYING AND EXCAVATING THE SOIL ANDCONSTRUCTING TUNNELS.

' (Application filed m 7, 1902,) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-$heet I.

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No. 7|3,l65. Patented Nov. :1, I902.

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METHOD OF SOLIIJIFYING EXCAVAT ING THE S OlL AND CONSTRUCTING TUNNELS.

(Application filed May 7, 1902.) (No Model.) 2Sheeis-8heet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES SOOYSMITI-I, NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF SOLIDIFYING AND EXCAVATING THE SOIL AND CONSTRUCTING TUNNELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,165, dated November11, 1902.

Application filed May 7, 1902. Serial No.106,352. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES SooYsMrrH, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Methods of Solidifyiug andExcavating the Soil and Constructing Tunnels, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to excavations and tunnels, and especially toexcavations or tunnels in soft or yielding or. water-bearing materials,and has especial reference to those instances Where the freezing methodmay be advantageously or necessarily employed.

The objects of my invention are to provide a practical method offreezing, excavation, and construction which shall be at onceeconomical, easy, rapid, safe, and stable and to permit the excavationand construction of the main tunnel while preparing for the excavationin advance of the same and without delay or interference. These objectsI attain by the use of the processes and devices illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, described in the following specification, andclaimed hereinafter.

In the drawings like letters of reference refer to like parts throughoutthe respective views.

The figures are cross-sections of an excavation or tunnel,showingmyimproved methods.

Figure 1 shows a main tunnel having a pilottunnel in front of the maintunnel and pipes approximately parallel sunk from above and intersectedby the pilot-tunnel. Fig. 2 shows a pilot-tunnel situated above a maintunnel and intersecting a plurality of pipes radiating fanwise from theaxis of the pilot-tunnel and covering the cross-section of the maintunnel. Fig. 3 shows a novel arrangement or system of pipes, a part ofwhich are intersected by a pilot-tunnel. Fig. 4 shows a pilottunnel oneach side of the main tunnel and pipes sunk from above so as to beintersected by the same and pipes subsequently sunk from within thepilot-tunnels. Fig. 5 shows a modification of this idea, in that all thepipes are sunk from above and intersected by the pilot-tunnels. Fig. 6shows a plurality of main tunnels and two pilot-tunnels difierentlylocated. Fig. 7 shows a further modification of my invention, in which aplurality of pipes are sunk from above and intersected by a plurality ofpilot-tunnels. Fig. 8 shows a similar arrangement of pipes; but theintersecting pilot-tunnels are constructed above and below the maintunnel or tunnels.

Referring to the figures, l is the main tunnel; 2, the pilottunnel; 3,pipes sunk or driven from above; 4, pipes or holes driven, implaced, orbored from the pilot-tunnel; 5, conduits or pipes for the supply andcirculation of a vehicle of cold; 6, small pipes carrying the medium ofcold into the pipes 7 for the purpose of circulating the same therein;7, small pipes in pipes 3 for circulation.

In the case of the construction of snbaqueons tunnels it has beenproposed to drive a small pilot tunnel or tunnels and in some cases torun out pipes from this through which to circulate the freezing medium.It has also been proposed to run out pipes from completed portions of alarge tunnel in order to freeze the material in advance, so that furtherexcavation could be made; but these methods of doing the freezingthrough a small pilot-tunnel or pipes radiating from it will in somecases be slow and tedious to carry out, because of the difficulty ofinserting the pipes from the small pilot-tunnel or through the frozenmaterial, as by some of the devices heretofore invented. I endeavor bymy invention to overcome these difficulties and provide a means wherebythe pipes for freezing in order to construct a subaqueous tunnel may beput down from above in the open, and at the same time or subsequently aconnection may be made with these pipes through a small pilot-tunnelpreferably intersecting them, so that the circulation of a medium ofcold may be conducted through the small tunnel.

In actually carrying out my method I prefer to first drive or sink orotherwise place a plurality of pipes of suitable size, about six inchesin diameter, so that they will penetrate the material it is desiredto'freeze to the required depth. I may do this by any suitable means ormethod, as by a driver, awaterjet, or otherwise, the particular means ormethod of placing these pipes employed in this operation not being partof this invention, and I place these pipes in such relation to eachother, both as to direction, angular position, and alinement, that allof them will be intersected, or nearly so, by one or more lines parallelto the axis of the main tunnel. Usually after placing these pipes Iadvance one or more small pilot-tunnels of sufficient size to permit thework to be carried on therein, probably about six or seven feet indiameter or height. These may be of any suitable or convenient shape,material, and construction and are of course substantially parallel tothe axis of the proposed main tunnel; but they may be on either or bothsides or above and below or in the line of the proposed main tunnel. InFig. 1 I have shown these pipes placed parallel to each other and inadvance of and covering the whole cross-section of the main tunnel to beconstructed. The pilot tunnel is here shown of rectangularcross-section, its width being somewhat greater than the width of theproposed main tunnel. It will be seen that this pilot-tunnel intersectsall these pipes near their center. The ends of these pipes will ofcourse be sealed, and they may be so adjusted as to their length andtheir depth in the soil that they may extend the necessary distanceabove and below the pilottunnel to produce the required area ofcongealment. After the pilot-tunnel has been excavated sufficiently todisclose the pipes 3 the latter may be cut, and the small pipes 6, whichcarry the vehicle of cold from the main pipe 5, are inserted orconnected to pipes 7, so as to produce a circulation of the freezingmedium. I have not here shown in detail the construction or arrangementof this circulating system, as the mere mechanical details are notfeatures of my invention, the method of piping being well known in theart of freezing. Thus I have shown but one pipe 6, leading to eachsoil-pipe 3, whereas of course a plurality or their equivalent will benecessary to produce circulation. As the main tunnel is constructed inrear of the excavation of the frozen material, the excavation for thepilot-tunnel of course becomes a part of the main tunnel, and such partsof the pipes 3 are removed as are within the area of the tunnel-face.This operation is not further described herein, as it is sufficientlyset forth in my application for Patent, Serial No. 86,946, filedDecember 23,1901, and that of Charles Page Perin, Serial No. 9&654,filed February 18, 1902, and, besides, is sufficiently familiar to thoseskilled in the art.

In Fig. 2 I show the pipes as having been sunk at different angles fromthe vertical through a line drawn parallel to and above the axis of themain tunnel and on which line as an axis the pilot-tunnel issubsequently constructed so as to intersect the pipes,which are, asalready explained, then out off inside the pilot-tunnel and small pipesfor freezing run into them from the cold-supply pipes in the maintunnel. It will be seen that the pipes 3 radiate like a fan below thepilot-tunnel and cover the cross-sectional area of the proposed tunnel.

Fig. 3 shows a plurality of tunnels with the parallel pipes 3 sunk fromabove and shows a portion of the latter, as 3 3', intersected by thepilot-tunnel, which is here shown between the main tunnels. The pipes 3are joined at the top by a horizontal or connecting member, and prior totheir emplacement the small pipes 7, already referred to, have beenplaced in them, (this being preferably done in every instance.) Thepipes 3 may be subsequently cut or opened after the excavation of thepilot-tunnel uncovers them and the usual connection made with thecold-supply.

In Fig. &the pipes 3 are sunk from the surface at such angles that thepilot-tunnels2 2 when constructed intercept them at or near their lowerends. The pipes 4 may then be sunk in sections from the interior of thepilottunnels and subsequently connected up with the freezing apparatus,as before described, or holes without lining or pipes may be in somecases forced and the freezing effect produced therein.

In Fig. 5 I employ a similar arrangement, except that the pipes 3 3 aresunk from surface, so as to be intersected by the pilottunnel.

In Fig. 6 I employ two rectangular pilottnnnels diagonally disposed withrespect to a plurality of main tunnels and the pipes 3 3, sunk fromabove, while the pipes L 4 are run out or bored from the pilot-tunnels.Of course the exact location or shape of the pilot-tunnels or pipes isnot material. In Figs. 6, 7, and 8 the arrangement has been sufficientlydescribed, and the arrangement and construction are obvious.

I prefer to operate as follows: The line of the proposed tunnel havingbeen selected, I usually first sink or otherwise place a plurality ofpipes 3, preferably of course closed at top and bottom and whichpreferably contain one or more smaller pipes 7 to be subsequentlyconnected to the cold-supply pipes 5 in the pilot-tunnel 2. These pipesare so located and arranged that one or more pilottnnnels, which may belocated in any position relative to the main tunnel, but parallelthereto, will intersect either all these pipes 3 or so many of them aswill permit the connection of the cold-supply pipes 5 in thepilot-tunnel to one or more of the small pipes 7 in pipes 3 or some ofthe pipes 3, forming a system or group, as in Fig. 3. I usually nowconstruct the intersecting pilot-tunnels as before mentioned. Thesepilot-tunnels may or may not be lined, depending upon the nature of thesoil. As I uncover the pipes 3 I may cut or separate or open the latter,so as to permit me to connect the pipes 7 to the pipes 5 by pipes 6. Thepipes 5 are connected to a freezing apparatus or other cold-supplypreferably either in the main excavation or at the base of operations onshore, or, if desired, on a float anchored above the place of immediatefreezing, in which latter case one of the pipes 3 could be lefttemporarily reaching to the surface for this purpose. The freezingprocess may then be carried on as desired and extended or confined tosuch portions as may be necessary and the main tunnel excavation andconstruction accomplished in the frozen area, the portions of the pipes3, 3, 3 and 4 left after the excavation and construction assisting tosupport and secure the main structure and may be incorporated therein.

I do not limit myself to the form, location, arrangement, size, ormaterial shown, or to the exact order of process mentioned, as theseillustrations and description are typical, and may be modified andextended; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The method of solidifying the ground which consists in sinking aplurality of pipes containing small pipes,'intersecting the. same by oneor more pilot-tunnels, and circulating a medium of cold in the pipesfrom the pilottunnel, substantially as described.

2. The method of solidifying the ground consisting in sinkinga pluralityof pipes, intersecting the same by one or more pilot-tunnels, andcirculating amedium of cold in the pipes from the pilot-tunnel,substantially as described.

3. The method of solidifying the ground which consists in sinking aplurality of rows of parallel pipes, intersecting the same by one ormore pilot-tunnels, and introducinga vehicle of cold into the pipes fromthe pilottunnel, substantially as described.

4. The method of solidifying the ground which consists in sinking aplurality of rows of pipes set at such angles as to cross each other ona certain line, intersecting said pipes on said line by a pilot-tunnel,and introducing a vehicle of cold into the pipes from the pilot-tunnel,substantially as described.

5. The method of solidifying the ground which consists in sinking aplurality of pipes, and intersecting the same by one or morepilot-tunnels, and freezing the soil about the same, substantially asdescribed.

6. The method of solidifying the ground consisting in sinking aplurality of rows of parallel-connected pipes, intersecting some of thepipes in each row by one or more pilottunnels, and introducing a mediumof cold into the pipes from the pilot-tunnel, substantially asdescribed.

7. The method of solidifying the ground which consists in sinking aplurality of rows of pipes, certain pipes in each row crossing otherpipes in the same row on a certain line; intersecting these pipes onsaid line of crossing by a pilot-tunnel, and circulating a. me dium ofcold in said pipes from the pilot-tunnel, substantially as described.

8. The method of solidifying consisting in sinking a plurality of pipesat opposite angles from the vertical, so that they cross orapproximately meet, intersecting said pipes by one or more pilot-tunnelson the line of the crossing or meeting, freezing the soil by a medium ofcold from the pilot-tunnel.

9. The method of solidifying the soil'consisting in intersecting aplurality of pipes sunk at angles and on opposite sides from thevertical, by a pilot-tunnel and circulating a medium of cold in saidpipes from said tunnel, substantially as described.

10. The method of solidifying consisting in intersecting a plurality ofpipes sunk in the earth, by a plurality of pilot-tunnels; formingcavities in the earth from said pilot-tunnels, and circulating a mediumof cold in said pipes and cavities from said tunnels, substantially asdescribed.

1l.' The method of constructing excavations which consists in sinkingaplurality of pipes so as to substantially surround the area to beexcavated, intersecting said pipes by a plu rality of pilot-tunnels,freezing the soil about the proposed area of excavation by thecirculation of a medium of cold from the pilot-tunnels, substantially asdescribed.

12. The method of excavating which consists in sinking a plurality ofpipes extending over and on either side of the area proposed to beexcavated, intersecting said pipes by a pilot-tunnel, solidifying thesoil beyond and on either side of the area to be excavated, by thecirculation of a medium of cold from the pilot tunnel, and excavatingthe material within the proposed area, substantially as described.

13. The method of constructing an excavation which consists insolidifying the soil over and on either side of the proposed excavation,but not elsewhere, so as to form a roof of solidified material, andexcavating the material beneath said roof, substantially as described.

14. The method of constructing a tunnel which consists in solidifyingthe soil over and on either side of the proposed tunnel, but notelsewhere, so as to form a roof of solidified material, excavating thematerial within the area of the proposed tunnel, and completing thetunnel structure, substantially as described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 15th day of March, A. D. 1902.

CHARLES SOOYSMITH.

Witnesses:

A. KENT, E. L. ABBOTT.

IIO

